Run Away With Me
by Dino724
Summary: A Titanic AU. It's April of 1912. Artemis Crock is going to America to get married to a man she doesn't love. Wally West is just trying to get back home. When the two outcasts meet by chance on the voyage of a lifetime, will love draw the two together? Or will fate try and drag them apart? SPITFIRE, CHALANT, SUPERMARTIAN, and more! No Powers.
1. Chapter 1

**AN~ **Okay, ever since I came up with this idea, I've been kind of wrapped within it. This is a no-powers AU. I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Titanic_ in anyway. The entire franchise belongs to James Cameron. All credit for the majority of the plot and small bits of dialogue belong to him. The characters used in the story belong to the creators of _Young Justice_ and DC Comics. The gorgeous image used for the story belongs to rhieme, from DeviantArt.

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**Chapter One**

_April 10, 1912_

The car pulled to a stop in the middle of all the chaos, just narrowly avoiding a small family of four that was crossing the dusty road. The tall, muscular car driver quickly jumped out and stride to the side of the car so that he could graciously open the glossy door. A long and thin arm clad in fine, white linen reached out of the doorway for the driver to take; following the standard routine, the driver gently took the hand and made a small step back to help the young woman from the car. From the car emerged a young woman wearing a long white dress and hat. Her name was Artemis Crock.

Artemis was a beauty, a true jewel for any lucky gentlemen. She was tall and slender with curves that would make men stare. Her skin was flawless and a radiant olive tone. Her neck was long and elegant, with a defined chin, high cheek bones, and a thin nose. Long, golden blonde locks tumbled neatly over her shoulders and reached the small of her back, with not a single hair out of place. Of course, these features alone would make any man swoon, but the most interesting factor about her appearance was her eyes: large, dark grey eyes like an ocean storm, surrounded by dark lashes and arched, manicured eyebrows resting right above. All in all, seventeen-year-old Artemis Crock was exquisite.

"Thank you, Mr. Kent," Artemis said to the driver. Mr. Kent gave a small, curt nod to her before turning his attention back to the car.

Three more people exited the car. The first was a tall and handsome man by the name of Roy Harper. Roy was the heir to a large weapon manufacturing company in Star City, and he already had a large fortune awaiting him in America. Roy was also Artemis' fiancé due to an arranged engagement – something Artemis was less than pleased about.

Next from the car came Artemis' mother. A middle-aged woman bound to a wheelchair due to an accident that occurred many years before. Paula Crock shaded her eyes from the bright son as both Mr. Kent and Roy aided her into her wheelchair.

Then finally, Artemis' older sister appeared from inside the car's cabin. Jade Nguyen was a beautiful woman with a fierce personality. She had committed quite the scandal when she switched her last name from Crock to her mother's maiden name. It was rumored that she did it because she didn't want to be associated with her father. There were a lot of rumors about the Crock family.

Artemis stepped out into the street slightly and observed her surroundings carefully. The shipping dock was at its busiest. Never had there been so many people crowding and shuffling about the old docks of South Hampton, but then again, never had there been such an event as the one they were at. Families of all sizes and classes scurried about: mother's chasing their children, fathers carrying luggage, and small infants crying from all of the loud noises. Dogs chased cats around the feet of the people and horns honked to signal people to get out of the way. Usually, all of this would have been overwhelming to any person, but today, none of it compared to the large ship that was currently docked at bay, the root cause for the entire hubbub.

It was named the RMS Titanic, the largest ship ever built. People called it the Ship of Dreams. It was said that Titanic was truly "unsinkable." Dark grey smoke billowed out of the top from three of the four towering funnels. The bottom half of the ship was painted a dark black while the top remained white and lined with hundreds of tiny windows. The Titanic was indeed magnificent.

Artemis cocked an eyebrow in disbelief._ "This is what everyone was going crazy about, some silly ship?"_ To her, it made no sense. Artemis turned her head toward Roy and scoffed slightly. "I really do not see what the big deal is about this thing. Honestly, it's just another ship, what makes this one so special?"

Roy sighed but tried to remain smiling. "Artemis, can you not see it? This ship is a mammoth compared to all others! It's one of a kind with state of the art designs and the most advance technology available. They didn't name it Titanic for nothing, Artemis," said Roy as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Artemis just rolled her eyes and shrugged away his hand. "_Boys and their toys,_" she thought to herself as she began to stray away in search of shade. It was hard enough to last in the blistering heat as it was, but add on a tight corset that restricted your breathing, an itchy petticoat, stockings, and a heavy dress, well Artemis was basically ready to pass out.

Before she was out of hearing distance, Artemis heard her mother say, "Don't mind her Roy. She's just nervous, that's all. This is her first time being out on the water. I'm sure once we set sail, her attitude will be better."

"It better b – Artemis, Artemis!" Roy called out once he saw that she was beginning to wander out of view. A frown made its way onto his face as Artemis didn't even acknowledge his calls for her.

Jade walked up next to Roy and casually slipped her arm around his. "Oh, let her go Roy. She'll get on the ship in the end. Just let her go be her ungrateful, moody self for a while and then she can meet back with us later on. Really, I feel sorry that you must put up with all these antics she pulls," she purred as she tried to nuzzle up to his arm.

Roy looked down at the older girl and sighed. "I'm sorry Jade, but your sister is my responsibility now and I can't let anything happen to her. You and your mother stay with Conner while I go fetch Artemis." Roy slipped away from Jade's grasp and stealthily made his way through the dense crowd in search of his soon-to-be wife.

Jade snarled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now don't pout, Jade. I don't want you causing a scene, not here at least," said her mother, who was being wheeled forward by Conner Kent, Roy's personal valet and bodyguard.

"Uh, I swear mother, that girl will be the end of us all!"

* * *

"Wally West, are you crazy!" shouted the young, Romanian boy. His dark eyes were wide as they watched Wally place all of their shared belonging into the winnings pile on the small coffee table. Everything he ever possessed was just placed down in front of him in one large bet of luck. He knew that Wally liked to take risks and "live life dangerously" as Wally put it, but this was just stupid!

Wally smirked as he turned towards his friend, a glint of excitement in his cerulean eyes. "Robin, when ya got nothing, ya got nothing to lose," he said, a thick curtain of cigarette smoke escaping his mouth.

The boy, Robin, eyed his friend for another moment longer but then turned to look back at his own hand of cards, consisting of a seven, a two, a jack of hearts, king of diamonds, and an ace. He was king high, which pretty much meant his hand was shit. Yeah, Robin was worried. "La dracu '! Noi sunt înşurubate!" he began to swear in his natural tongue.

Wally chuckled to himself as he watched his best friend cuss and pull his hair like an idiot. Really, it was like the boy had no faith in him whatsoever. Well, Wally would just have to prove Robin wrong. The red haired boy turned to look at the two Swedish men they were playing against. One was talking in almost rapid-fire Swiss to his companion, pointing at the piece of paper that was lying on the table.

There, just a few feet away from reaching distant were two tickets which guaranteed travel on the Titanic. Of course the two Swedish men were worried; it would have been smarter to bet gold. Those tickets were priceless with the power to change a person's life forever. Wally stared at the crumpled paper. He wanted, _needed,_ those tickets. They were his key to getting back home.

Cards were traded in one last time and a few glances made their ways around the table. Wally looked at his cards with a straight face, "All right, moment of truth. Somebody's life is about to change."

Robin shook his head, annoyed as he threw down his cards for all to see.

"Nimic?" asked Wally in a somewhat surprised, somewhat teasing tone.

"Nimic!" repeated Robin, agitated that he was about to see all of his possessions be taken away from him all because of a stupid game of cards.

Wally shrugged and looked to the first Swede. "What about you Olaf?" The heavy-set man sitting across the table threw down his cards to show that he didn't have anything either. "Nothing!" said Wally happily, and turned to face the last man, Sven. "Well?" Wally asked the final competitor almost mockingly.

Sven placed his hand on the table, a smug grin on his face. "Two pairs of aces!" he bragged.

Wally sighed and chewed on the inside of his lip. He turned his head toward Robin, who was already expecting the worst. "I'm sorry Robin but—"

"Dracu'! I knew it! This was a stupid and now you lost us everything! Wally West jur voi kill you! Lost toate! La naiba Wally, you've done it this time!" Robin ranted on and on, merging his two spoken languages together.

"Robin, I'm sorry that you aren't going back to the circus!" Wally interrupted his friend mid-rant, "because we're going to America!" Wally cheered and slapped down his cards onto the table for the others to see. "Full house, baby!"

Robin screamed and jumped into the air with pure joy. He hugged his friend and picked up the tickets lying on the table. The two friends began to dance around in circles, chanting "We're going to America, we're going to America!"

Sven and Olaf growled and stood up only to stalk out of the pub. A loud rumble echoed from outside, which caught the attention of the two dancing boys.

"Well, I hope those tickets get you on some other boat headed to America, because Titanic leaves in five minutes!" said the bartender as he cleaned out a glass. Wally and Robin stopped dancing immediately and stared at each other, like they were paused in time. Then quickly they rushed to the table and scooped all of their winnings into a sack. Without another word, the two boys dashed out of the pub and through the crowd. Wally and Robin dodged carriages and ducked under crates that were being lifted into the air. The both of them ran as fast as they could.

Wally looked over his shoulder and saw that Robin was a good twenty feet behind. "Come on Robin, I thought you said you were fast!" Wally teased as he jumped over a pile of suitcases.

"Sorry, but not all of us can run as fast as you. You're like a flash of red that just zooms by through the air before anyone can spot you!" Robin yelled back, puffing for air.

Wally laughed. It was true in a way; he had always been good at running. It was one of the things that he did best. For Wally, running was his way of life.

At last, the two reached one of the ramps that led up to the boat. They climbed up it as quickly as possible, screaming "We're passengers!" and made it to the top right before they closed the doors. Wally let Robin hand the crew member their tickets as they boarded the ship. The crew member approved and pointed them in the direction they needed to head to reach their rooms.

Never had the two best friends been so happy. This was a dream come true. They were headed to America, the land of the free. Wally looked at Robin, who was looking around amazed at everything he was seeing.

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Wally asked.

Robin turned. "It is more than whelming. It's just… _asterous_!" grinned the younger boy.

Wally smiled. The two began slowly walking down the halls to find their cabin. "Robin my friend, welcome aboard the Titanic."

* * *

**AN-** Okay, well that's chapter one, I hope you guys liked it! Some of the dialogue was taken from the film, mainly Wally's lines, but I won't do that a lot. I just did it here because it was the beginning and I thought the dialogue was good. Sorry if you think it's a bit short, but then again, it's just the first chapter. Also, I know that there is also another Titanic AU in the YJ section, but these two stories are pretty different. And I promise this won't just be the movie with YJ characters! Please, leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN~ **Aaaaaand we have chapter two! Thank you all so much for reviewing! I didn't think I'd get so much feedback. You all ROCK!

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**Chapter Two**

_April 10, 1912_

"– And so I say to the oaf, 'These aren't made of lead, they're titanium!' Oh, the look on his face was priceless!"

Artemis laughed along with the others around the circular table, doing her best to pretend that she was the slightest bit interested in what they were saying. In truth, she hadn't a clue as to what the people were even talking about, because the moment Mr. Queen started blabbing on about finances and other nauseating topics, Artemis lost all concern and completely zoned out of the conversation. She had no interest in hearing men brag about their wealth or how they made some new discovery or something completely ridiculous and trivial. For men, it was just a contest, nothing more and nothing less.

But Artemis was well trained and knew when to smile and laugh, she knew when to nod her head and agree with what someone was saying; this was the kind of life she was bred for. After all, she was just another woman in a man's world.

The table they were seated at was surrounded by some of the wealthiest and most important people on the ship. At the head of the table sat Mr. Oliver Queen, the richest man aboard the Titanic. He was the directing chairman of White Star Line, the shipping company where the boat was launched.

To Mr. Queen's left sat none other than Bruce Wayne. Mr. Wayne was the man with the plan, as people liked to say. He was the acting director during the building of the ship; it was he who came up with most of the ship's prints and made sure that every single detail on the ship was correct. He was travelling on the Titanic's maiden voyage to make sure that she had a smooth sail form start to finish.

Lastly, there was Dinah Lance and John Jones with his niece, Megan Morse. Dinah Lance was what Artemis heard her mother call "new money," due to her husband finding gold in America. Artemis liked Dinah, even if everyone else thought she was loud. Dinah wasn't a reserved woman, she spoke her thoughts and feelings, something that Artemis envied. John Jones on the other hand was a quiet, proper man. He came from France with his niece to start a new life. Artemis didn't know what to think of the man for he barely ever spoke a word. Then there was Megan. Artemis just didn't really like her, to be perfectly honest. She was just so…so…_perfect_. Megan had manners, knew when to speak, and it seemed as though she could do no wrong. It was almost sickening.

A waiter as skinny as a twig stepped up to the table and asked what everyone wanted to eat. As each person ordered their food, Artemis could only wonder if the people in charge of the ship strapped wooden planks to the backs of each crew member, because there was no way in hell that it was natural for a man to stand that straight. She would have to remember to ask Mr. Queen about that later on.

"Ah, yes," said Roy, glancing up at the waiter when it was his turn to order. "We'll both have the lamb, rare, with a little mint sauce." Roy smiled at the waiter and then looked to Artemis once the waiter had left. Artemis, however, was red in the face and practically glaring daggers at her so called fiancé. "You like lamb, don't you sweetie?" Roy asked.

Artemis bit her lip and turned her head to Roy, smiling a sickly sweet smile. "Oh, of course _honey_," she said venomously, "I just adore lamb. After all, I'm only allergic to it. Eating things that can kill me, oh I just love it! It gets my adrenaline going, risking my life. But of course, you already knew that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go throw up so my stomach will be perfectly empty for that delicious poison that will be my dinner."

Artemis pushed back on the table and rose suddenly, accidentally knocking over the heavy chair in the process. The table became deadly silent, so quiet that Mr. Nelson's snoring in the far corner of the dining room was audible. All pairs of eyes were gazing awkwardly at the couple, something Roy quickly noticed and determined to put an end to.

"Now Artemis, don't be brash, I'll call the waiter back over to change your order," Roy said and tugged a little on Artemis' dress.

"Let go of me!" Artemis hissed and slapped his hand away.

Before another word could be said, Artemis quickly turned and marched out of the room.

While the occupants of the table discretely watched the angered blonde storm out of the room, Paula signaled for Jade to follow, who stealthily got up and left the table as well without anyone noticing her departure.

Roy turned back to the table, his face red, too. "I am so incredibly sorry that you all had to witness that little scene just a moment ago. My fiancée is just not feeling well and thus she has become a little, dear I say, temperamental. Please, I ask kindly that none of you worry about her too much for I would hate if this put a damper on the evening in any way."

As the others around the table did their best not to be rude by continuing on with the conversation like nothing was amiss, Artemis – who had made her way out of the dining hall – was fuming and grabbing angrily at her frilly dress, so that she could stomp up the marble staircase. "Damn straight, I'll make a scene," she muttered under her breath crossly, scrunching the hem of her gown in her fists.

Only managing to stamp up the first few stairs, Artemis heard a voice from behind her hiss out, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Startled, Artemis spun on her heels and saw Jade leaning up against the white pillar with her arms crossed over her chest in a very nonchalant manner. Her words had come out to be more of a venomous expression than a question, as if Jade used the phrase regularly. Her black eyes were narrowed and threatening. "Do you know how embarrassed mom is right now? She practically started crying! And Roy, my god Artemis, I feel so sorry that he has do deal with you all the time."

Artemis felt her blood begin to boil. She turned on her heels and marched down the stairs and right up to her sister, pointing her gloved finger in Jade's face. "Be quiet! I don't care what you or any of the others have to say. I'm sick and tired of being controlled and looked after like some doll! Now leave me alone!"

Stunned, Jade didn't even reply as she watched her sister scamper up the stairs, heading back to their personal quarters. Calmly, the elder sister recomposed herself and glided back into the dining hall, sending a glance to her mother. Paula studied Jade's eyes and understood what had happened and then politely excused herself from the table while Jade sat herself back down, taking Artemis' empty chair next to Roy.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Wayne asked with real concern.

Jade smiled, "Nothing that cannot be handled, I promise."

Roy raised an eyebrow, not completely believing the excuse that was given. But seeing that everyone else around that table went along with it, he decided to leave it at that and continued eating his freshly served lamb.

Dinah wiped her mouth with her napkin. "I do hope she doesn't get sick. It would be such a shame if she had to spend all of her time inside of her room."

Roy chortled lightly, "Please, Mrs. Lance, I assure you that nothing is amiss. I've already told you that young Artemis doesn't need pity, but rather some time to herself. Now don't make me beg and please let us all just carry on with this fine meal."

"Roy is right, we wouldn't want to ruin this evening! After all, tonight we must celebrate for this is the first night of this great ship's maiden voyage! Let me propose a toast to the success of all those who created this beautiful vessel!" Mr. Queen hollered, louder than necessary.

Seeing that Mr. Queen was reaching the first stages of being drunk, Mr. Wayne quickly covered for his close friend and raised his champagne glass in the air. "I shall most definitely toast to that!"

The others around the table followed suit of Mr. Wayne and sipped their drinks. And just like that, Artemis' scene was mostly forgotten about and the laughter and chatter carried on. However, when no one was really paying much attention, Roy signaled Conner over to him.

"What would you like, Sir?" Conner asked as he leaned down.

"Go check on Artemis. I don't know what she's doing and I don't want her getting into any kind of trouble. Also, I'm sure Ms. Crock will require some assistance coming back down," whispered Roy.

Conner nodded his head and stood back up. Right as he was to leave though, he noticed that the red haired girl, the French man's niece, was starring at him. He didn't know her name and wasn't exactly interested in learning it, but to be polite, Conner smiled slightly and gave a small nod of his head. The little gesture caused the girl to blush a brilliant shade of magenta, which made Conner chuckle as he left the room. In some part of his mind, he would almost even consider the girl to be cute.

Two levels up, Artemis slammed her door shut and flopped down onto her bed. She closed her eyes and let the soft blankets and silk sheets devour her body in their warmth. She felt slightly better when being surrounded by such comforting things, but her body was still shaking with anger.

"_How dare he think of me as some incompetent girl! I can do things on my own without his help, especially order my own food! Men and their big, egotistical selves… makes me sick!"_ she thought.

Artemis rolled onto her back and gazed up at the ceiling. Oh how she longed to return back home to America. Moving to England was a stupid decision on her mother's part, for in the end, nothing was gained except a forced marriage. _"Of course, that may have been the exact reason for the move."_

The Crock family was originally from Monongah, West Virginia, a small coal mining town. Artemis' father was Lawrence Crock, the owner and founder of the major mining company that operated in Monongah and other parts of the state. The Crocks were indeed the wealthiest family in their town and for that, they were often the topic of much of the town's gossip. However, just because her family had money, it didn't mean Artemis lived a good life.

Lawrence, her father, was a drunk and mean man. He abused almost any sort of substance he could get his grimy hands on. He was also a gambler, which was his worst habit of all, for whenever he lost a bet, he would become violent. Artemis and Jade were lucky enough to never have been maltreated greatly by their father, but sadly, their mother was not treated the same. Lawrence would hit and scream at Paula till he would pass out, completely intoxicated, leaving their mother in horrible conditions.

The worst accident by far was when Artemis was merely five years old. The mining company was doing poorly and over time, Lawrence was becoming more and more depressed, resulting in his drinking habits to only increase. One night, after a long evening of gambling at the local pub, Lawrence stumbled into the house, drunk and filled with rage after loosing another game of poker. Artemis and Jade had been asleep and unaware of the events that were occurring outside of their room, until they heard a loud shot and a blood curdling scream.

Scared, Artemis refused to leave the bedroom and hid under the blankets while Jade slowly crept out of the room to see what had happened. It wasn't until the next morning that Artemis learned what had occurred: her mother had been shot by their father. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it ended with her being taken to the hospital where she would stay for the next year while recovering. If they hadn't the money for medical care, Artemis could only imagine what would have become of their mother.

Artemis and Jade lived in fear while they were in their father's care. Without their mom, there was no one to really protect the two sisters from their father's cruel nature. Luckily, by the time Paula returned home, nothing too serious had taken place. For years, Paula wanted to leave Monongah, with her two kids and forget about Lawrence; but with her paralysis and enchainment to a chair on wheels, along with the girl's being so young, they had no choice but to stay.

It wasn't until the year of 1907, did the Crock girls get their chance to escape from their living hell.

It was called the worst mining accident to ever occur in America's history. The date was December the sixth, and in one sudden life changing moment, the lives of 362 men were taken in a large, methane fueled explosion; including the life of Lawrence Crock. His body was never found, but it was common knowledge that he entered the mine that day to evaluate the workers. The town was absolutely devastated and quickly fell into a state of gloom and depression. Seeing this as their opportunity, Paula gathered all of their life savings and valuable belonging, and bought passage on a boat that was headed to South Hampton, England, where Paula would begin her new life with her two children.

Five years had passed since they moved and the Crock family had finally run out of money. Fortunately, Paula had become acquainted with Roy Harper, a wealthy business tycoon who was still in search of a wife. After many months of courting, it was settled that Roy would return to America with the Crocks and then marry Artemis. With the wedding came financial stability for the Crocks and peace of mind for Paula. Artemis, though, was quite the opposite of her mom.

It was such a scam. Paula knew that Artemis hated Roy, yet she still accepted his offer to take Artemis' hand in marriage; for all Paula could see was the wealth and finance that they would finally gain back. Paula didn't care for her own daughter's being, and was only concerned for her own personal being. It was cold and mean.

"The selfish bitch," Artemis mumbled as she sat up, smoothing out the wrinkles from her dress.

Suddenly, there was a loud rapping on the door, followed by Paula's shrill voice. "Artemis, open this door immediately! Do you hear me? Let me in, Artemis!"

Artemis gritted her teeth but stormed over to the door and opened it so violently that the door could've come flying off of the hinges. "Yes, _mother_? Is there something you'd like to say to me?" she spat.

Paula Crock was not happy. Not one damn bit. But she waited until she was fully in the room and the door was closed to unleash her fury unto her daughter. Paula clenched her fists tightly and slowly shook her head with disappointment. "How dare you. How dare you cause such a fuss like you just did. Do you know what Mr. Queen and Mr. Wayne must think now? They'll think that you're some ungrateful child who has no manners and that I'm the inept woman who raised you to be that way, that's what they'll think! Not to mention all the others who witnessed that scene of yours! Oh, I'll be the laughing stock for the rest of this trip! Of course, you don't care what others think about you. But for once, why don't you think about the consequences that your actions have on other people! Stop being so selfish and grow up already!"

Artemis scoffed loudly and this. "Selfish? _I'm_ the selfish one? Like you can talk mother dearest! Because of you, I have to marry some man who only cares about his own good, all because you want some more money! Stop being a hypocrite and see who the true selfish one is."

Paula opened her mouth to make a remark, but there was another knocking on the door. Artemis went over and opened it to see Conner standing tall with an eyebrow raised. "Mr. Kent, what a…_pleasant_ surprise. Come to spy on me again, have you? Do tell me, what has Roy ordered you to do now?"

"Artemis!" shouted Paula. "Don't you ever speak like that again! You were not raised by barbarians!"

"_I'd like to differ," she thought._

Artemis rolled her eyes and walked away from the door and to the bathroom, where she dramatically slammed the door shut. Paula sighed and looked at Conner. "I am so sorry for her rude behavior, Mr. Kent."

Conner raised his hand. "Do not worry, no offense was taken." However, deep inside, Conner was ready to snap. "Mr. Harper has sent me up here to just make sure that nothing was wrong and to see if you required any help coming back down to the dining hall for the rest of the evening's meal."

Paula smiled kindly and the young man. "That would be greatly appreciated, thank you."

Conner stepped behind Paula's chair and began to wheel her out of the room, sending one last death glare at the bathroom door. "_Spoiled_ _brat_," was all he thought.

* * *

**AN~ **Okay, so there's the second chapter. The next one will be Wally-centric with Robin too. I wanted to get Artemis' history out of the way so things would be slightly clearer to the readers. If there is any confusion, please tell me and I'll try and explain them in the next few chapters. Also, the Monongah coal mining explosion is a true event that happened in 1907, I just thought it fitted and weaved into my story. Finally, I'm only human so there will most likely be a few or more typos; if you spot any, I would love it if you could point them out to me. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N~** Sorry about this chapter being so short. I've been having writer's block mixed with my natural laziness for what seems like an eternity, so I've been having some issues writing. I originally planned to make this chapter longer and end on a cliff-hanger, but I just couldn't do it. So once again, I'm sorry and I'll hope all you lovely readers will somehow forgive me.

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**Chapter Three**

_April 11, 1912_

The early morning sun was just beginning to rise over the dark, watery horizon; the North Atlantic Ocean was already glistening and the soft, orange and pink rays of light had found their way to the great water vessel that was sailing through the water. It was the 11th of April, and to most of the passengers travelling on the ship, life seemed fresh and new; this great voyage, expedition, journey, whatever one called it, was a chance to start over. For young, eighteen-year-old Wallace Rudolph West, adventure was one of the reasons as too why he was aboard the ship.

The second was because Wallace – or Wally, as he was more commonly known as – was headed back home.

At the age of fifteen, Wally had decided that he wanted more out of life, rather than being stuck in some small town for the whole of his life. What he wanted more than anything was to see and travel the world. It was almost like a competition for him, seeing the world while he was still young. However, after travelling through most of Europe and a few select places in Asia, Wally had found himself living in England. He had stayed in England, bumming from street corner to street corner, for a good while; Wally found that he actually enjoyed the rainy country – and the fact that the English folk all spoke the same language as he, was most certainly a plus.

Now, however, after a good three years of travelling the globe, Wally was finally headed home. A small town in the state of Kansas, called Keystone City, was the final destination of Wally's great adventure. It was finally time for the notorious, street rat, gambler, skirt chasing explorer to return home.

In all truth, the thought of travelling aboard the Titanic to return home had never even crossed Wally's mind. He had been thinking more around the lines of sneaking aboard some cargo ship that was headed to Central America and then travel up to the States; but both fate and luck were with him just a day ago, when he came across two drunk Swedes that just so happened to have tickets for voyage on Titanic and were in a mood to gamble as well. Wally didn't normally believe in good fortune, but now he believed that anything was possible, even for a bum like himself.

"Wally, the sun isn't up and it's freezing out, what are you doing out here on the deck?"

Wally looked over his shoulder and saw a very tired looking Robin come walking out of the doorway and out onto the ship's deck to join him. "Mornin' Rob," Wally chirped, "I just thought it would be nice to see the sun rise. You know, so I can tell Ma and Pop I've seen the sun rise from the sea or something like that."

Robin laughed slightly and sat down next to Wally on the wooden bench. "It's all so, surreal, you know?" Robin said as he gazed out onto the ocean. "I never would have thought that I would be travelling to America, the land of the free – or so they say – with my best friend. Hell, I never would have thought of ever being able to travel on _the _Titanic."

Wally looked at Robin and smiled. "Hey, I don't want ya to go all mushy on me now, but yeah, I suppose you're right. This experience has kind of changed my whole view on things; like anything can happen, both good or bad, and you'll never know which one you'll get."

"Ah, your philosophy is truly inspiring, my friend," Robin stood back up and stretched out his arms, letting out a loud yawn and then smiling back at Wally, "but even as motivating as your beliefs are, it is still way too early in the morning and if I hurry now, I think my bed may still be warm."

With a small wave, Robin walked back to the door and left the lower deck to head back to the room. Wally rolled his eyes as he watched his friend leave and comfortably leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. Robin was surprisingly the only true friend Wally ever made while travelling. The two had met at a small bar in the slums of Austria, after Wally accidentally tripped and spilled his mug of ale all over Robin. After that, things just seemed to click in place and Robin decided to accompany Wally on his adventure.

Over time, Wally learned many things about the young man. For starters, Wally knew that Robin was not his real name, but decided it best not to barge into his personal business and never asked any questions about his peculiar name choice. Wally also learned that Robin was a runaway aerialist, from the travelling Haly's Circus. Robin had run away because of his parents' deaths after a sabotaged performance. He didn't know much of what had happened, but Robin told Wally that after the accident, he could never go back to the circus.

And so after that, they two made their way around most of Europe; getting kicked out of bars, stealing bread from bakeries, hiding from the police for being public nuisances, and sleeping under bridges and in musty alleys were all part of a days fun for the two. Only a few weeks ago did the two travel down to South Hampton, after hearing about the great Titanic_._ Only a day ago did they win two tickets to board the ship legally in a game of poker, and only an hour ago did Wally wake up to watch the sun rise to begin the very first day of this new journey.

By now, the sun was high in the clearing sky. Stars were fading in the light, but the thin crescent moon still shined strong in the brightening morning. Other passengers had exited the inside of the ship and were moseying onto the outer decks for fresh air.

A dark skinned boy with a shaved head walked across the deck and leaned against the ship's railing. The boy pulled out a scrunched up cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a long drag from it, inhaling all of the smoke and fumes only to puff it out of his mouth a moment later. The boy looked around the third deck nonchalantly, until he came upon Wally's green gaze. "Is there something you need?" the dark skinned boy called out.

Thinking 'why the hell not?' Wally stood up and walked over to the boy. He too leaned against the rail and remained quiet for a moment while the dark skinned boy narrowed his eyes and studied him. "Do you want something from me?" asked the boy.

Wally turned and smiled at him, "Nah, I was just admiring your smoke ya got their. I'm just craving one, that's all."

The dark skinned boy laughed and reached into his pocket to pull out another crumpled cigarette. "Here, take it," he said, offering the small, rolled up piece of white paper to Wally. Wally happily accepted and let the cigarette hang out of the corner of his mouth while the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a match to light it.

"Thanks a bunch, mate," said Wally as he exhaled a large cloud of smoke. "I'm Wally West."

The dark skinned boy nodded his head and mimicked Wally, "My name is Kaldur'ahm, but please, call me Kaldur."

Wally nodded, "What is that, Scottish? I've never heard the name Kaldur before."

"Irish, just like me. Just like this ship, in fact," Kaldur said, gesturing to the ship with his hands. "This whole thing was built in one of the Irish ship yards."

Wally nodded again, "Ya don't say. Well Kaldur," Wally paused to take another drag of smoke, "it's been a pleasure meeting ya. I'm sure we'll run into each other again on these decks at some point. But now you'll have to excuse me, because I have to find a little bird friend of mine before he gets into some sort of trouble. Good day."

Kaldur smiled and tipped his hat slightly, "Good day, my friend."

When Wally walked back inside of the ship, he quickly made a b-line towards the lower levels of the ship, where all of the third class passengers resigned. He skipped down the stairs and paced swiftly by all of the Russians and Swedes that were mingling in the hallways. When he came to the room he shared, Wally opened the door and walked in. Inside, two men were sitting on the opposing beds talking to each other. Both men looked up at Wally and smiled slightly.

"Hugo, Isak, have you seen Robin?" Wally asked the two Swedish men.

They nodded. "Ya, the little guy said something about sneaking up to the first deck. He better be careful though, those firsties don't take kindly to us low life's," said Hugo.

"Thanks," Wally said and then left the room to let the men continue their conversation.

Wally hurried back up the stairs and ran onto the second deck. He looked around and saw that the coast was clear. He hurried over to the small wooden staircase and climbed the stairs that would take him to the upper deck. Only a few people were milling around outside at this hour, which was good for Wally. Most of the first class passengers were probably still down in the dining hall, polishing off their caviar, or whatever it was rich people ate for breakfast.

Standing by the bow of the ship was a small person, who Wally quickly identified as Robin. Wally walked over to his friend with a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. "I've been looking all over for ya Rob. Knew I had to find ya before you got yourself into any kind of trouble," Wally said.

Robin turned around smiling to look at Wally. "I have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about," Robin smirked. "I mean, _me_ get in trouble? Never!"

Wally laughed and slung and arm around Robin's shoulder. "Ya, that's exactly what you said before you insulted that policeman and ran away after kicking his shins back in London. What on Earth was I thinking, worrying about you?" Wally smiled.

Robin shrugged, "Eh, say what you will. I was just out here to get a better look. See what it's like for the rich people and all."

"Well, let's go find something to do; I'm surprisingly starting to get bored," Wally joked.

Robin thought for a moment and then and idea popped into his head. "I just remembered that earlier, I heard someone talk about how there's some sort of gymnasium on board. How 'bout we go check it out, see if we can entertain ourselves for a while."

Wally took this into consideration and then agreed. After all, what better way to stretch one's sea legs than with a good old fashion race? "Okay Rob, sounds good and all. How 'bout I challenge ya to a race. You up to it?" smirked Wally.

Robin's face scrunched up as he looked at Wally. "As unfair as that is for me, you know me weakness of never turning down a challenge. You're on my friend!"

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**A/N~** Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N~ Because the story only takes place across a time span of four days, I'm going to make chapters a bit on the shorter end, that way I can have more. Chapters will focus in on different characters (Wally and Artemis being the main ones, of course) and spend time on specific events. I hope that makes sense to you guys… it sounds right in my head…**

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**Chapter Four**

_April 11, 1912_

Artemis found her room empty when she woke up. _"Jade and Mother must have already left for breakfast,"_ she noted, seeing that the two other beds in the room where properly made. For a moment, she was angry that they hadn't woken her up so that she could join them; then she remembered the events that had unfolded the night before and was actually glad they hadn't. Artemis did not want to talk to either of them, and more so, Artemis did not want to talk nor see Roy.

She was actually surprised her fiancé didn't come to see her last night after the scene she had caused in the dining hall. Usually Roy would scorn and chastise Artemis for doing "unladylike" things. A small shudder went down her spine when she thought about what Roy would say – and do – to her once he was alone with her. It wasn't that Roy was abusive, he had never hit her once in their time together, but he was very short-tempered and brash. He could be loving – or try to be, at least – but he could also get very angry, and it scared Artemis when he got angry; she never knew where his snapping point was.

Stepping out of bed, Artemis decided that she wasn't feeling all too hungry. A thought crossed her mind as she walked over to her wardrobe: with everyone else at breakfast, no one could stop her from seeing the other parts of the ship. The one place Artemis really wanted to stop at was the gymnasium she had heard so much about. Apparently, the Titanic was supposed to be equipped with the most recent exercise machines. Ever since she had boarded the ship, Artemis was just itching to try them out.

Artemis could've been considered a little "health crazed," as her mother liked to call it, but Artemis saw nothing wrong in wanting to keep her body in the best physical condition possible. When they were all living in South Hampton, Artemis went on daily runs in the morning and then would work on muscle buildup in the evening. Roy had even bought her a rowing machine that she could use at home. When she worked out and sweated, she felt strong and alive. Even if she exercised more than the average male, Artemis didn't care; she planned on living a long, healthy life and she wasn't going to invite any health problems to join on her journey.

Dressing in her most simple dress, Artemis tied her long hair back into a bun and walked out of the suite. The halls were surprisingly clear and made it all the more relaxing to walk through, not having to worry about some stranger coming up to her and asking who was escorting her. Artemis rolled her eyes. _"When men see that women are just as capable of walking themselves from one place to another without their 'assistance' will be the day pigs fly,"_ she silently scoffed.

She made her way to the boat deck and took in the cool, ocean air that met her when she walked outside. Breathing in the salty smell, Artemis let out a small sigh. The gymnasium was located near the bow and was empty when she opened the door. A smirk graced her face; with no one around, she had free reign to do whatever she wanted. The first thing was taking off her shoes. She hated those retched shoes she had to wear; all they did was squish her toes together and give her blisters.

"Much better," she hummed as her eyes scanned over the room. "So many choices… What to do, what to do?"

At first, she saw a rowing machine like the one she had back at her old home in England and began walking over to it as it was something she already knew how to use. But then she saw something that resembled a bicycle, only the wheels where partially suspended off of the ground by large metal bars. Artemis decided to try that one. Mounting the narrow seat and making sure to tuck her dress underneath her, she placed her feet on the pedals and pushed.

Artemis had been on the bike for at least ten minutes, a thin sheer layer of sweat accompanying her face, when she heard a commotion from outside. She stopped pedaling and looked over her shoulder with curiosity; it sounded like someone was stomping along the deck outside. A moment later, the door to the gymnasium burst open and in flew a rather small boy with dark messy hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a large smile on his face. Soon after, another boy tumbled in after, not nearly as graceful as the first boy. The second boy was taller with a paler complexion, freckles everywhere, and shocking red hair.

"I win!" proclaimed the small boy, thrusting a triumphant fist into the air.

The second boy brushed himself off. "Only because I tripped," he mumbled under his breath.

"What? The great Wallace West, fastest man alive, tripped on his own feet? The press must know!"

"Oh, shut up."

"You're just angry because you L-O-S-T."

"Don't make me hurt you…"

"You couldn't even if you tried. I would just – oh, hello there," said the black haired boy, finally taking notice of Artemis' presence in the room. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

The other boy – Wallace was his name? – looked at Artemis and let a goofy grin appear on his face. "Well heelloo, beau – ow!" cried Wally when he was elbowed in the stomach by his friend.

Artemis looked at the two boys, neither of them were older than twenty-two and it was obvious neither of them were first-class passengers. "Hello," she said coolly. With others in the room with her, it probably wasn't the best idea to be exercising so intensely and improper for a lady. She turned so both of her legs tangled off one side of the seat and was about to step down from the bicycle when something tugged at her. Artemis looked down at the wheel and saw that the hem of her dress had gotten caught. _"Damn it,"_ she mentally cursed as she remounted her seat and pretended that nothing was wrong.

The two boys approached Artemis slowly. "We should introduce ourselves," started the younger boy. "My name is Robin, it a pleasure to meet you, Miss."

"I'm Wallace West, but _you_ can call me Wally," the red-haired boy said with a wink.

Artemis couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the latter's confidence. "Wally and Robin, those are two names you don't hear very often," she commented.

"Two odd names for two odd fellows," grinned Robin. "What did you say your name was?"

Hints of a blush crossed her face. She really was forgetting what it meant to be a lady. "I'm Artemis Crock."

"Like the Greek goddess," said Wally.

Artemis rolled her eyes. She hated it when people said that. She was neither Greek nor anything like a goddess. "Yeah, her…" she sighed.

Wally looked around the room for a moment and then back at Artemis. "So, Artemis, who are you here with?"

"I'm by myself actually," she responded without missing a beat.

Wally nodded. For a moment she was afraid he would start lecturing her on how it was improper for a lady like herself to be by herself without a male escort. But instead he said, "Sorry that we ruined your quiet workplace. Me and Robin here were having a bit of a race."

"Which I won," a smug Robin added.

Wally rolled his eyes. "You've made that perfectly clear already, Bird boy."

"Well, it was nice meeting you two," Artemis said, wanting to end the conversation. She really just wanted to get out of there and back to her room, but needed Wally and Robin to leave first so she could try and untangle her dress from the bike. She was hopping the two would get her hint.

"Oh, sure. Here, let me help you down." Wally offered out his hand for Artemis to take. Biting her lip, Artemis didn't take it and stayed exactly where she was.

Wally tilted his head to the side, a little offended that she was accepting his help. "Is something wrong, Miss Crock?"

Artemis shook her head no and tried to think of something to say, but Robin spoke up first. "It looks like your dress has gotten caught in the wheels. Are you stuck?"

A blush appeared on her face and Wally looked up and smirked at her. "You just didn't want to admit you were stuck," he laughed.

"I don't need your help," she hissed. She was perfectly capable of getting herself out of the mess, thank you very much.

Wally knelt down beside the back wheel and examined the damage done. Sighing, he looked at Robin and said, "Rob, you go sneak around and find a pair of scissors to cut the dress; it's too tangled in to undo by hand."

"You got it!" the other boy said, giving a quick salute before rushing out of the gymnasium.

"I told you I don't need your help," Artemis gritted through her teeth.

Wally stood back up and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, you aren't like most women I know. Usually, they'd _grateful_ and _appreciative_ that some stranger was offering to help to undo a stupid mistake."

Artemis quickly frowned. "Are you saying I'm stupid?"

"No," Wally defended himself against her icy glare, "but aren't these machines, you know, meant for male use?"

Her face turned red with anger as blood rushed through her. How dare he! "Well aren't you a bit second-class to be up here?" she snapped back.

A silence fell between the two before Wally broke out laughing and choked out, "Touché! You really aren't like other women." Artemis growled at him and he added, "But I don't mind. I like different."

Artemis' scowl softened and slowly turned into a smile. "Well, you aren't too –"

"Miss Crock, there you are!"

Both Artemis and Wally turned to face the door. Conner was standing there dressed in his bland uniform with a serious expression on his face. He stepped into the gymnasium and walked over to the two. "Miss Crock, I have been looking everywhere for you. Your mother and Mr. Harper have been wondering where you are ever since you didn't show up for breakfast this morning. And, uh… who are _you_?" he asked, gesturing to Wally.

Wally puffed up and was about to point a finger at Conner's chest, but Artemis placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke first. "Mr Kent, this is Wallace West. We were good friends back in England. I ran into him earlier today not knowing that he was on this ship. I hope that's not a problem."

Conner narrowed his eyes and looked down at Wally, who was glaring daggers right back at him. "I see. I will make sure to tell Mr. Harper of your activities. I have also been assigned to tell you that you are expected to be in the dining hall at seven for dinner."

Artemis nodded her head. "I'll be there, thank you." Then an idea crossed her mind. "And so will Mr. West."

"Huh?"

"Excuse me?"

"Mr. West shall be joining us tonight," she established with a smile.

Conner, obviously against the idea, merely nodded his head. "I will see to it," he said and then walked out of the room.

They waited until Conner's footsteps couldn't be heard anymore. Wally raised an eyebrow at Artemis and asked, "So, how good of friends were we back in England?"

She laughed. "Don't get any ideas. I'm… engaged."

"You don't sound all too happy about that," Wally pointed out.

Artemis shrugged. "That's because I'm not. But what can you do? It's not like I have the power to make my own decisions."

Wally furrowed his eyebrows together. "That's ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "Of course you do. You just have to fight for them!"

Artemis looked at him, her face solemn. "Easy to say when you're a man."

Before Wally could say anything, Robin came back, slightly out of breath. "Snagged these from the kitchen." He walked over and handed the shiny silver scissors to Wally.

He knelt down and looked up at Artemis. "Hope this isn't a favorite dress."

Artemis snorted. "I hate it. Please, cut away." The scissors glided like a knife through butter as Wally cut the dark colored dress. When he was done, Artemis happily stepped down and stretched her legs. "Blue never was a good color on me."

Wally placed the scissors in the inside pocket of his jacket. "Well, now that you're free, how about we walk around. What do you say? You can show us the frills of the first-class lifestyle, then Rob and me can lead you on an adventure of through the decks of the second-class."

Robin nodded his head. "I'm up for it!"

For a moment, Artemis thought about saying no. She barely knew these two, and yet… something in their eyes told her that she had nothing to fear. "Alright," she said with a nod of her head. As the three unlikely friends left the room, Artemis couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Roy found out.

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**A/N~ And Wally and Artemis have finally met! What do you think? Do they seem in character? Also, I have a poll on my profile that you should vote on that relates to my story, sooo….. POLL! GO! NOW! VOTE! PLEASE! Thank you :)**


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